Buying a piece of cloth to cover a truck, only to get soaked in the rain halfway through "- this is a painful lesson for many truck drivers.tarpaulinThe core functions of tarpaulin are waterproofing, tear resistance, and aging resistance, but 90% of the "tarpaulins" on the market are only ordinary coated fabrics that crack and leak water after 3 months of use. This article teaches you how to choose the right tarpaulin that can truly provide shelter from wind and rain from three aspects: material, craftsmanship, and testing standards.
Material comparison: How to choose PE, PVC, or silicone tape?
PE tarpaulin (polyethylene): the most common, with a low price (5-15 yuan/㎡), but poor weather resistance. After 3 months of ultraviolet irradiation, the coating is prone to powdering and peeling, and the waterproof performance returns to zero. Suitable for short-term temporary use (such as construction site cover materials), with a lifespan of ≤ 1 year.
PVC tarpaulin (polyvinyl chloride): Mid end selection (15-30 yuan/㎡), strong tear resistance (longitudinal and transverse tensile force ≥ 2000N/5cm), acid and alkali corrosion resistance. But it will harden at low temperatures (easily brittle at<-10 ℃), suitable for use in northern or non extremely cold regions, with a lifespan of 3-5 years.
Silicone coated cloth: a high-end option (50-100 yuan/㎡), with a dense waterproof film formed by the surface silicone layer, extremely strong weather resistance (can withstand low temperatures of -40 ℃+80 ℃), and a UV resistance level of 8 (ordinary PE only has level 3). Suitable for long-term outdoor use (such as trucks often running on plateaus and deserts), with a lifespan of 8-10 years.
Process key: Coating thickness determines lifespan
The waterproof performance of tarpaulin is determined by the thickness of the coating:
Thin coating (<0.1mm): easily scratched by sharp objects and penetrated by water molecules;
Thick coating (>0.3mm): Decreased flexibility and easy cracking.
Recommend choosing tarpaulins with a coating thickness of 0.15-0.2mm to balance waterproofing and durability. In addition, check the uniformity of the coating: feel the surface with your hand. If there are particles or unevenness, it indicates poor coating technology and easy local water leakage.
Test standard: 3 methods for self checking quality
Splashing test: Use clean water to splash on the surface of the tarpaulin and observe the shape of the water droplets. High quality tarpaulin water droplets roll in a spherical shape (contact angle>90 °), while low-quality fabric water droplets are flat or permeable.
Tensile test: Cut a 10cm × 10cm sample and use a tensile machine to test the longitudinal and transverse tensile forces. High quality tarpaulin has a tensile strength of ≥ 2000N/5cm (equivalent to lifting 200kg of heavy objects), while inferior fabric has a tensile strength of ＜ 1000N/5cm.
Aging test: Expose the sample to sunlight for 72 hours (or accelerate aging with a UV lamp) and observe whether the coating changes color or cracks. High quality tarpaulin shows no significant changes, while low-quality fabric coating has powdering and peeling off.
